ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Like the mythical phoenix rising from ashes, Marriott reopened on Sunday three months after it was devastated by a suicide attack.

Its owner, Sadruddin Hashwani, is reported to have spent Rs1.2 billion on its renovation since the Sept 20 attack in which at least 56 people, including some foreigners, were killed.

An extraordinary security feature of the hotel now is a 14-foot-high and 15-foot-thick wall with the ability to absorb shock waves produced by high-intensity blasts and to neutralise high temperatures generated by them.

“I have turned this hotel into a fortress,” a tearful Sadruddin Hashwani said, standing near pictures of hotel staff killed in the suicide attack. “My heart bleeds (for the) great soldiers who did not let the bomber enter the hotel,” he said, referring to the hotel’s security personnel.

Terrorism has wrought fundamental changes in people’s lives in the capital. The cosmetic revamps have certainly groomed the already beautiful Islamabad but its reputation as a ‘safe’ and ‘peaceful’ city has suffered.

After a series of suicide bombings, people have been forced to accept the stepped up security at home and at work place.

Before the attack, Marriot was the centre of the city elite and a popular venue for weddings and exhibitions.

The renovated hotel’s foyer is as grand if not grander than what it used to be and the doormen are as courteous as they always were, smilingly opening the doors for guests who came to attend the soft opening.

The Nadia coffee shop has opened with new décor, its reception adorned with paintings.

All restaurants have been renovated and some new have been added, including ‘Dumpukht’ and ‘Lobby Lounge’ (serving snacks and multi-flavoured coffee).

Sixty hotel rooms have been fixed, but a few more days will be needed for visitors to use them. The hotel’s structure is unchanged, and has been approved by international agencies as safe.

The function was attended by the city’s dignitaries, diplomats and media personnel.

AFP adds: An army of 2,000 labourers has restored the hotel to its former lustre.

Visitors now have to pass through a bomb-proof room within the wall in order to gain access to the hotel, which will feature sophisticated scanning equipment, Hashoo Group’s chief operating officer Peter Alex said.

There will, however, be no parking at the hotel. Even vehicles ferrying VIPs to the Marriott will have to deposit guests at the front gate and drive on.

“The hotel will be fully functional from today, with the re-opening of all eight restaurants, coffee shops and the conference rooms,” Khawar Jameel, a spokesman for the group, said.

Check-in is starting from Thursday, as hotel management decided at the last minute to test all the fixtures before allowing guests to stay.

The hotel is due to be fully operational in March.